This was never going to be easy
by CrimsonPenny
Summary: Set place after the events of the movie, where the Von Trapps are travelling across the mountain range. Brigitta's POV. Maybe a few others. New friends, threats and mysteries await the Von Trapps on their journey to reach Switzerland. Who knows, there may be some romance... [I don't own the Sound of Music Von Trapps. Rated K ]
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1 The Week-Long Journey.**_

 **Ok, before I start. This is based on the film, not the true story. In real life, the Von Trapps left by train and travelled to Italy rather than Switzerland, but if you watched the movie (and I say you undoubtfully have) you should know that they travelled to Switzerland via the mountain range. Obersalzberg in the Bavarian Alps was the mountain used. Absolutely in love with the film and all its actors and actresses. R.I.P Charmain Carr (Liesl Von Trapp) and Heather Menzies-Urich (Louisa Von Trapp).**

 **Brigitta's POV**

Father never allowed us to come hiking up here. I know the boys desperately wanted to, and this was their chance. Unfortunately, for the wrong reason. We had no choice but to trek across this forsaken mountain towards the safety of Switzerland, all because of those stupid Nazis wanting father to join their army.

Frost has whitened the tips of my clothes, and frozen my fingers to a shade of blue, which I had safely tucked beneath my arms. The others are just as cold, all blowing into their hands or pulling their scarfs above their red noses. I was one of the ones who were struggling, whilst people like Louisa or Friedrich were quite happily trekking forward. Marta was in front of me, every now and again stopping just for a few seconds. I was at the back, making sure my younger sisters didn't fall behind, course no one would notice if I did, they were too busy on trying not to fall off this damn mountain. Mother finally came back a few steps and retrieved Marta, carrying her forward, leaving me to walk alone.

Father had insisted on making us take a sort of register to make sure we were all together. Mother agreed, and of course she made the things we say into notes. Gretl was Do, Marta was Ra, I was Mi, Kurt was Fa, Louisa was So, Friedrich was La and Liesl was Ti. I didn't care in all honesty, in fact we were all in bad moods. We'd lost our house, our country and now we were on the run… all in one day!

"Brigitta can you please keep up," I felt Liesl's arm brush against mine and I looked up.

There was a look of sympathy in her mesmerizing blue eyes as she wrapped her arm around my shoulder. I looked down at the ground, not bothering to speak as I was worried my mouth would chatter too much. Also, the sky was darkening, so I would grow even colder. I had images going through my mind that we would freeze to death. No, father wouldn't let that happen.

There were a lot of cave openings around here, and unless they were habituated by some unfriendly creatures, we could stay in them just for tonight. Father had told Kurt to gather and carry as many sticks as he could, so I had a pretty good hunch that father would attempt to build a fire.

He set Gretl down on the rocky terrain and slipped down into one of the thin holes. Kurt handed the sticks down and then climbed into the hole himself, followed by Friedrich, Louisa, Gretl, Marta, mother, Liesl and then finally me. The cave, if that's what you would call it, was huge in length but not in height. Heck, I couldn't stand straight in here, so I settled for crawling across the bitterly cold surface, freezing my stinging fingers. Near another opening at the corner of the cave, father and Friedrich had set up the fire area, cleverly so that the smoke would just head straight out of the opening rather than into our faces.

Mother told me to leave the boys to it and so I crawled over to the sheltered and quiet area of the cave, pulling my book out of my coat pocket. _Swallows and Amazons._ Rewritten by mother so I could read it in Austrian, one of the things she did in the Abbey I suppose. Until now, I've never heard of or read this book, but it's apparently meant to be good, so I open the first page…

"Brigitta go to bed," I looked up from my page to whom had spoken. It was mother.

I had been so transfixed by the story, as well as forgetting it was night because of the warm fire, that I realised that I was the only child left awake. All of them were snuggled up close to each other for warmth, with their coats thrown over their bodies. Mother patted the empty space beside her and I shuffled over, placing my book down so gently someone would've thought it was glass.

Resting my head on mother's shoulder and I gave a small, sort of saddened sigh, that echoed around the cave mysteriously. The noise scared me a little, and I felt very foolish for tensing up. Mother, however, sympathetically placed her arm around my shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"Good night… mother…"


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2: It's Too Cold…**_

The weather had changed rapidly for the worse overnight. I don't know if it was because it was early in the morning, but all I knew that we were probably going to freeze if we stayed out there too long. The cave had stayed toasty, luckily, due to such little wind bouncing to and from the sky and clouds.

 _Swallows and Amazons_ lay beside me, tucked away under my coat. It also seemed like I was the first to wake, unusually, as light snoring sounds could be heard from my siblings beside me. I buttoned up my coat, letting out a little sigh, grabbed my book and climbed out of the cave.

Father was out here, looking down towards the village. He, like the rest of us, was distraught to leave. The obvious reason, the house was all we had left of our real mother… He must have heard my feet sliding through the dew-damp grass, because he had turned to face me.

"I see two of us are ready to go," he took my hand, patting it gently, before pulling me into a hug.

Honestly, I don't know if I'll ever be used to father's hugs. It had been so long, the last hug I really got from him was when I was about Gretl's age, when mother was still alive. He finally let go, walking quietly back over to the cave, his usually confident shoulders slightly hunched. Gracefully sitting down on a smooth rock, I opened my book and continued to read.

I wonder, when we get to the safe place, if mother will translate any more books for me to read. It keeps me calm and distracted, taking me to a warm and sunny place. I play with the Walkers and the Blacketts and we fish, sail and swim in the freezing waters. That sounds like a nice life, no wars, just a quiet, peaceful valley for the children to play in. That was what ours was like, until those horrid Nazis arrived and ruined it all. `

"Do," I heard Gretl say loudly, so I peered over the edge of my book.

"Re," Marta continued.

"Mi," I flipped the book shut, gently stuffing it into my coat pocket.

"Fa, So, La, Ti," everyone else said their notes in a very flat tone, rather than our usual happy tune.

Other than father calling us by our names, being kind and such, I felt like I was in our home again, before Maria came. She taught us music, taught us how to have fun. She changed father's mind, which we all thought was impossible. Now that we were leaving the only thing we ever knew, there was a silent, melancholic mood hanging around us like rain on the coldest day.

I heard Liesl or Friedrich say it. I asked father what it meant, and he said it meant sadness or something. _Melancholic_ … Such a lonely sounding word. I like it, it's unique. Like us I guess. Once again, I was at the back of the group. Mother, however, didn't have to carry either the little ones because they had promised to walk on their own, so she hung back with me.

"I see you're enjoying your book," in her hand was a beautiful, snow white edelweiss.

"Thanks for translating it for me," I replied, allowing her to put her arm around me.

"For a girl so young, I'm surprised you like reading at all. Most men want women to just know how to clean, cook and care for their children," she pointed out, carefully handing me the edelweiss so I could look at it better.

 _Edelweiss, Edelweiss_

 _Every morning you greet me_

 _Small and white, clean and bright_

 _You look happy to meet me_

 _Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow_

 _Bloom and grow forever_

 _Edelweiss, Edelweiss_

 _Bless my homeland forever_ _  
_

I glanced up at mother, hearing the words quietly slip from her tongue. She kept her voice down, but I could still hear it. It was like she was trying to comfort herself, like I do with my books.

"Why are you so quiet?" I asked anyway, "I love your singing mother."

Every time any of us referred to her as 'mother', her eyes would gleam, and her voice would become sweet and soft like honey. I'm surprised we even considered slipping that frog in her pocket. We were heartless. No, we were lost. Lost is a better word, but it also states the truth. Without the music and life Maria brought, where would we be now?


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3: A Rock and A Hard Place**_

We had been walking for a few hours now, leaving our peaceful town and beautiful lake behind. As sad as it was, I was glad to go. Maybe Switzerland will be just as nice… I've only ever heard about it briefly, so none of us really know what we're getting ourselves into. Trusting father is the only real option we have.

"Mother, how long will it take for us to reach Switzerland?" I asked, clutching her hand as we stepped over a freezing little stream running from an opening in the mountain.

"A few days I suppose," she replied, not looking down at me.

Instead, she had her eyes on father. She was probably thinking the same thing as me. Would he get us there? Or were we following a lost hope? I've never doubted someone as much as I am now, probably with the possibility that not all of us will make it. The older four are fine, they know the world much better than Marta, Gretl and I, which makes the knot in my stomach tighten slightly. Poor Gretl is only five, she'll perish up here without the help from father and mother. And what if they themselves grows to tired to go on? We'll either be stuck up here, starving or freezing to death, or we'll have to return to the town, where they'll punish us all… Kő és kemény hely... A rock and a hard place, I think that's what the Americans say…

"I know that look," mother whispered, "Please, don't worry, Brigitta. Your father will not stop fighting until the day he dies. I promise we'll get all of you, and I mean _all_ of you, out of this situation."

"Mother," I whispered, and she looked at me, "May we sing our favourite things?"

She smiled at this, squeezing my hand, then left my side to go and talk to father. He looked down at me, eyes going soft, and nodded. She beckoned all of us over, pulling out her guitar, and told us all to sit on the rocks.

"I'm sure you all remember how it goes," she began, tuning the guitar whilst talking.

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with strings, these a few of my favourite things," father began quite softly, enough that we nearly didn't hear him.

"How do you know father, you weren't in the room when mother sang it to us," Marta asked, her smile large and contagious.

"No, but I could hear you. I have to say, Maria, you did a wonderful job on keeping our children calm," his eyes twinkled mischievously, and I dare say I have never seen that look before.

I held onto the edelweiss mother had given me, my nose an inch away from their white tips. It swayed elegantly in the wind, it's sweet, overpowering smell making my head spin a little. And although I never did sing along, I felt comforted by the melody coming from my parents' and siblings' voices.

Well, the peace did last… until a rumble overhead could be heard. It wasn't thunder, the skies were clear all around. No… it sounded more like a roar. But that's impossible, you don't get lions and bears in the sky… unless. Liesl gave a small gasp, pointing up at something in the sky. A group of birds… wait, not birds. Planes. Father raised his binoculars, then dived to the ground, hidden in the tall grass. We all did the same, and I managed to retrieve the binoculars from Friedrich's side.

On the side of the planes, painted in red and black, was the swastika. The Nazi symbol. Said to be a sign of 'good fortune' or 'well-being'. To us, it was a sign of death…


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4: You all make me happy**_

After about two minutes, father arose slowly, staying in a seated position as he scanned the cloudless sky. The rest of us, at his command, remained low, blowing acid-green fronds away from our faces as they attempted to tickle our sensitive skin. Gretl began to sniff quietly, and I heard a shuffle of leaves towards the direction of mother.

Swivelling around, ignoring the noise, I watched father as he continued to scan the skies. His body was at full alert, no slouching, no hunched shoulders. He looked like a proper sea captain… well… I'm guessing that's what they look like. Finally satisfied that we were safe, he told us, quietly, to stand up and keep moving.

My pockets felt remarkably light, and as I reached in, I instantly knew something was missing. My book. Where was my book? Panicking, I blew the hair out of my face and got down on all fours, desperately searching for the only thing keeping my nerves at bay. It was a dull, faded orange colour, with a unique cover, rendering it easy to spot. And yet, I couldn't. The others were already leaving, having forgotten to do a head count, but I wouldn't leave my book.

"Where are you?" I whispered, as if talking to the pages themselves.

"Brigitta we're going, come on," I heard Friedrich call from a distance.

"I'll be right there!" I yelled, stumbling through the grass and parting it with my dirty hands.

After a few moments of searching, I sadly gave up, following Friedrich away from the grassy domain. Oh, how long it must've taken for mother to rewrite that book page by page. She'll be so cross that I managed to lose it. How foolish of me to bring it along… Reaching into my other pocket, I pulled out the half-squashed edelweiss. Two petals had been completely torn off, and I held them on carefully on my open palm.

Having practically slipped down into the grass, I had scratched my palm against a sharp rock, causing it to bleed a little. It wasn't serious, but it stung. We hadn't even brought anything to help it with us, so I'll have to go without…

A bit of the blood puddled beneath one of the petals, colouring some of the bottom of the soft surface crimson. I blew the other petal from my palm, watching it flutter down into the grass, and used the remaining one to keep soaking up the blood slowly drizzling down my hand. The white turned to a pink colour, and when I was sure the bleeding had stopped, I blew this petal from my palm.

"Mother," I caught up to her, "I lost _Swallows and Amazons_."

"It's OK, Brigitta. I'm sure I'll be able to buy you another," she smiled down at me, no hint of anger in her voice at all.

"But you took your time to write it, and now it's hidden in that grass somewhere," I mumbled, a shuddering sigh quietly rolling off the tip of my tongue.

"I'm not bothered about that. Listen, I didn't write that book because I needed to. I wrote that book because I knew you would love it. And if my children love something, then I know I've done my job alright. This is my first time being a mother, having only stampeded on your lives not a year ago," she explained.

"You didn't stampede, you did the exact opposite of that. Mother, you helped us learn what life is really like, and you changed father's mind. That was something none of us could do, but you did. We're all grateful for that," I looked over at Liesl, who had joined our conversation.

I nodded in agreement, smiling broadly up at them both. My sadness had completely gone, replaced with a feeling of happiness. My family was somewhat complete, with father finally being able to love again, and us children having the mother we so desperately needed all these years. I am certainly shocked, if I must be honest, that it would be like this again. But it is, and nothing is going to change that. Absolutely nothing.

 _Time skip: 5 hours. Third Person POV_

A trudge of boots can be heard, with a dozen of different sounds parting the fronds of grass. Hitler's youth soldiers search the undergrowth, using torches as night was upon them. Herr Zeller lead them, angry searching the area with his beady little eyes. One of the boys, Rolf, whom Liesl had a relationship with, called out, beckoning all the youth soldiers to walk towards him.

In his hands he held a small, slightly torn, very dusty, faded orange book. Herr Zeller snatched it from him, his force so brutal that it nearly pushed the young boy over, and turned to the first page.

 _Dear Brigitta,_

 _I know how much you love reading, my dear. Consider it an early – very early – birthday present if you will. I'm sure you will adore this book very much indeed._

 _Love, Maria_

Herr Zeller's moustache twitched upwards into an ugly looking smile. His eyes gleamed triumphantly, knowing the Von Trapps were here was enough to please him. He patted Rolf's shoulder, praising him for the find, before leaving the grassy area and back down the mountainside towards the little town, who's lights glistened above the clear, dark lake…


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

"The children won't be able to climb that," mother stood beside father, squinting up at a steep, sudden rise on the rocky terrain.

"What are you talking about, we'll be able to climb it," Friedrich boasted.

"I know you will, dear. But think of Brigitta, Marta and Gretl. They're only young," mother turned to face him.

"I suppose. Well, is there any way around it?" Liesl asked, walking around the side and peering over the edge.

It would be fatal if anyone fell from that height. So, no way we're getting around there. I tucked the edelweiss back inside my pocket, watching as everyone began trying to find ways around the obstacle in our path.

"Where's your book?" I heard someone ask, and I turned around.

"I usually see you reading it at times like this," Louisa stood beside me.

"I don't feel like reading it right now," I lied, not wanting to tell her I lost it. She'd probably laugh at me.

"What's it about?" she asked, completely ignoring my other answer.

"Two families, the Walkers and the Blacketts, go to an island in the middle of a big lake," I said simply, sitting down on a rock.

"There has to be more to it than that?" Louisa pestered me.

"You have never shown any interest in my books before, why are you doing so now?" I asked, turning around to face her.

"I don't know. Mother said that we should all try and get closer over the next few days," she shrugged a little, playing with a lock of her golden hair.

"Well, you don't need to like the same things as me. I like being different, and so should you. Mother meant that we should all spend as much time as possible with each other whilst we still can I suppose," I suggested.

"Oh, I didn't really look at it like that. I guess mother was right about you seeing and hearing everything," she smiled, leaving my side and going to help the others.

I gave a small sigh, and as I was looking back over my shoulder at the miles and miles of uneven terrain we had only just recently crossed, a different path lit up in my eyes. It was much further down the mountain side, where trees were beginning to grow. I'm only ten, but I do believe that this might be the only way around.

"Father!" I called, looking over my shoulder as he and Liesl came over, brushing the dust off their clothes.

I pointed to the slope, father patted my shoulder, a small laugh coming from his chest, and began climbing down. Liesl stayed up with me, watching him go down with a little bit of worry in her eyes. Mother and the others came over, stumbling over each other's feet, father waved at us all to come down.

"Come on Gretl, I've got you," Friedrich picked up our younger sister, steadying himself as he carefully climbed down the slippery hill.

"Hurry children," mother ushered us forward, looking up at the sky.

Father had noticed it too, as he began to back away towards a sheltered part of the slope. Friedrich and Liesl took immediate charge, pushing the rest of us over to him. The sound of engines came to my ears, and I, too, looked up at the sky. More planes. Flying dangerously lower than the others however, which seemed to make mother and father panic even more. Marta began to cry, snuggling deeper into father's coat as we watched the planes circle the area.

"Father, how did they find us?" I heard Liesl ask.

"They haven't, they're only searching for us. If we stay here for now, they'll probably go away," he whispered in reply, although there was doubt in his voice.

I noticed, though it dark, that his figure had gone from brave to cowardly, his shoulders once again hunched and his eyes glinting with fear. Not fear for himself, fear for his family. One thing I noticed about my father ever since he has changed, if that he no intention of putting himself before his family. It fact, it was the same with everyone, even the little ones. Mother had seriously fixed this family, and I'm surprised I've only just noticed this tiny little fact about us at this very moment…


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

 **Herr Zeller's POV**

I held the book in one hand, my moustache twitching every now and again as I sat in my office, waiting for the young lad who had come across this piece of evidence. How foolish of the girl to drop this, leaving behind a clue to their whereabouts. Yes, if they are travelling across the mountain, then there is only one place they must be going. Switzerland. And as soon as they cross that damn border, we cannot touch them until we gain control of that small country.

My thoughts were interrupted as a young lad, maybe eighteen or nineteen, tentatively stepped into the freezing room. My piercing glare made him uneasy, oh the joy of tormenting this boy. He's too innocent for the new world. I would've gotten rid of him if it weren't for the fact that he was close to one of Von Trapp's daughters. His eldest I believe.

"You wanted me sir," he stammered, not making eye contact with me and instead looking at the space above me.

"Do you know which of Von Trapp's daughters owns this book?" I asked, although already knowing the answer.

"Little Brigitta, sir," his eyes darted down to me, the book and then back up to the space above me.

"And how do you know this?" I raised an eyebrow, my moustache twitching once again.

"Because I saw Fraulein Maria give it her. Plus, Liesl told me," he pursed his mouth shut after that.

"Liesl? Was this the Von Trapp you were in a relationship with?" I asked, torturing this boy even more apparently.

"Briefly," he mumbled.

"Alright then… what's your name?"

"Rolf."

"Alright then Rolf, I'll give you a chance to find and bring in the Von Trapps. We know they are somewhere on that chunk of rock, and that they are possibly heading to Switzerland. One thing, I want them back alive. Do you understand? I'm sure Dachau will do more damage to their innocent souls than you or your merry men ever will. What are you waiting for? Get on with it man!" I shouted, pointing at the door with such a tone that Rolf practically skedaddled through the open door.

I gave a small, frustrated sigh, glaring at the book. I've never shown so much hatred towards something so little before. Just knowing that one of those bratty children held onto it, singing their happy little, disgustingly sweet songs, making me seem like a fool for allowing them to leave. What good mother would give their child a book? A book about things boys would do. Girls should be taught how to be a good wife, not how to sail, fish, swim and such. How ridiculous!

I threw the book down into my desk drawer, slamming it shut so brutally that my desk swayed violently. I drew a small breath, bringing on all the energy in my lungs just to do so. What a joy it shall be when we send that wretched family to Dachau, I shall be jumping for joy when that day arrives. And trust me, oh trust me… that day will come…


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7**_

The village was made up of mostly of small, crumbling, mossy stone houses. Cottages, if you will. They blended in very well out here. Unusually, there was no church, not even a place of worship of a common graveyard.

Even from here, I could tell that the villagers wore extremely dirty clothes, and yet didn't seem to care. Many were stopping to chat with the other on the open streets, if that's what you would them, and some were humming whilst they worked. It seemed friendly enough, as there was not one soldier in sight. It was lucky Kurt had seen it, as we probably would've walked right past.

"Stay alert, children," mother whispered to us, bending down to our level.

"Friedrich, come with me. The rest of you, stay here," father squeezed little Gretl's hand, then beckoned Friedrich to come with him.

He stopped a man on the street, who dropped the heavy looking sack on the ground and politely shook his hand. He was very scruffy, which I could tell annoyed father much, as he still wanted a _little_ bit of discipline. The man's beard was all tangled and knotty, going grey at the tips, exposing that he was a lot older than mother or father.

"He seems nice enough," I mumbled to myself.

For a while, all father did was talk. Friedrich was stood, a little awkwardly, beside him. A few times, father gestured to us, and the man would look our way, then turn back to the conversation. A lot of my siblings had lost interest and were silently drawing pictures in the dirt with their bare fingers. Mother had sat down, cradling Gretl in her arms, watching the sky calmly.

A small white butterfly fluttered past me, rhythmically beating its delicate wings. My eyes followed it as it flew past my distracted sisters and brother, before I felt my feet dragging towards it. The small bug didn't seem petrified by my sudden approach, and instead landed on an overhanging frond of green grass. For something so simple, so plain and so little, it seemed to be coping well out here on its own.

"Children!" I heard father call softly, and I turned around.

It hadn't occurred to me at the time, but I had apparently wandered quite far from the group. The little butterfly flapped its wings once more, before I slowly, and tiredly, walked back towards mother and father.

"Kind sir, how can we ever thank you?" mother asked, shaking the man's hand once again.

"No need to. I'm sorry it's a tad bit small, but we don't have enough room in our quaint, tiny home for all nine of you," he replied, his voice a bit gruff, like he was just recovering from a cold.

It looked like a barn, a bit run down, but warm and cosy. I haven't felt this much safety since we left our house. Oh, how I wanted to glance out of the window and see the lake again. The only thing I really regret is the fact that I didn't spend enough time out there, playing the grass and swimming in the lake. And I think father regrets ever treating us like sailors, as we never got to experience life until a year ago.

"I usually bring in the sheep quite late, and they tend to take up most of the barn. There is a little hanger up there, where I store all the extra hay. It should be big enough for you all," the man explained, about to leave.

"Oh, and I shall introduce my family to you all. My children have never met someone from outside this village, so they'll be very excited," he added, winking gently at Marta, making her laugh, before he left.

"I'm not sure we'll be able to stay here more than two days. We'll be putting this dear little place in great danger if we did," I heard father whisper to mother.

"Should we tell the man?" she asked. Father shook his head.

"No, don't want his family or him worrying. Plus, we don't know these people. I know, I know, he seems very friendly and I am grateful to him, but there might be a very unpleasant man in this village who wants to see us… in a certain place," he lowered his voice even more at this.

What is this 'certain place' he's talking about? Will we go to prison? Surely there's nothing worse than prison? Surely not… no… that's impossible. Please… may it impossible…


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8**_

The man's family were a delightful bunch. Despite his rough appearance, Herr Gedney was surprisingly quiet and gentle, who seemed to have a great lot of experience with younger children. In fact, I do believe he has already grown fond of Gretl and Marta in the brief time we have been here.

Frau Gedney was quite large, although I will never state this out loud because mother will scold me. She had red, curly hair neatly coiffured to reveal a round, warm face. There's something curious about her, perhaps it's her gentleness or perhaps it's simply her hearty laugh booming from one end of the room to the other.

Herr and Frau Gedney had two sons, and were expecting a third, although they didn't know whether it would be a girl or a boy.

Their eldest was around Friedrich's age, and yet at first glance he looked much older. He had hair the colour of chestnuts, which was frizzy and covered part of his tense face. His round, hollow, mahogany brown eyes were slightly narrowed, and I could tell that he was uncertain about us.

Their younger son was around Kurt or Louisa's age. Like his older brother, he too, was uncertain about us. Although not in an unfriendly way, instead he had tucked himself behind his mother, brushing his brown, shaggy, shoulder-length hair away from his face to reveal eyes, green like the sea after a storm.

"This is my eldest, Josef (Pronounced Joseph), and my youngest, Artur (Pronounced Arthur)," Frau Gedney pushed Artur out from behind her and towards us.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, boys. I'm Captain Georg Von Trapp, this is my wife Baroness Maria Von Trapp, and these are our children. Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta and Gretl," father smiled warmly to the two brothers, who just stared at him back.

"Josef, why don't you take Liesl, Friedrich and Louisa out and show them around. Artur, ask if Kurt and Brigitta want to help you bring in the sheep," Herr Gedney told them.

Josef looked like he was going to protest, but a stern look from Frau Gedney made him think overwise, so instead he nodded to the door and began to slowly walk out. Artur looked terrified at this, but also held his tongue and began to lead us out.

"Oh, Brigitta wait," mother called, and I turned around.

"I brought a book of my own along. It's in Austrian and I'm sure it's as good as Swallows and Amazons, and I know how much you adore reading so you may as well give it a try," she handed me a small book, with a lovely colourful cover.

I smiled politely and stuffed it into my pocket, before running out after the boys, who hadn't bothered waiting for me. Artur was silent, walking as quickly as he could with his hands in his pockets, whilst Kurt was going on about something I couldn't hear. After a while, I had been completely forgotten about, as the boys had told me to go and sit and do whatever somewhere nearby as I would just slow them down.

Sighing, I took the book out and flipped open to page one. Bambi, A Life in The Woods. Oh, I remember my real mother reading me this when I was very, very young. A strange feeling made my stomach form another knot, which was so tight I thought I was going to burst.

It must've been quite a while, as by the time I had looked up the sun could barely be seen, but in my mind, it felt not much longer than five minutes. I closed my book and looked around. Kurt and Artur had gone, along with the sheep, and I was beginning to feel a little scared. Who knows what's out there at this time of night?

"Your parents told me to come and fetch you," I nearly jumped out of my own skin, before realising it was only Artur.

I seemed to be a little comfier around just one person, rather than a huge family. He eyed my book, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know many girls you read," he helped me to my feet.

"Yes, well, I'm a Von Trapp," I replied simply. He smirked a little, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"It means I'm different. I'm not like any of my siblings, and they're not like each other," I explained, walking down the hill with him.

"I heard your mother talking about something called Swallows and Amazons. What is that?" he asked, curiosity hinted in his soft voice.

I kept my mouth shut, looking down at the ground. My beloved book, oh I haven't thought about it since I lost it. Now I'll never know who the burglars were, and if justice is brought to the Swallows as they had nothing to do with the break in… Artur, realising he had said something wrong, also stopped talking. For the rest of the walk, in fact, neither of us said a word, as we sunk into the raging rivers of awkward silence…


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9**_

There was a forest beside the village. It was endless, wet, and young, and the canopy was claimed by poplar, alder, and yew, and abundant dancing lights bounced through their crowns for all sorts of bushes to claim the fertile soils below.

Of course, I didn't know this off the top of my head. Herr Gedney had told me, having seen me gazing dreamily out towards the horizon above the green roof. Being hunters, the villagers had to learn what trees were what, and if they were safe. And, of course, what inhabited them.

I hadn't really noticed, but as we were much further down the mountain now, there were more, appropriate places for wild life to survive and grow. Which also meant there was a lot more danger. Herr Gedney had told me that last year, a young boy hunting with his father was nearly bitten by a snake deep in the woods. What's worse is that the snake was poisonous…

The thought itself made me shudder, and I turned away from the lush, green growth. There was one advantage of being lower in the mountain though, it was warmer down here.

Artur and Josef were nearby, watching their flock of sheep, every now and again looking over at me. I know they were still so suspicious, I mean I would be. A family of nine suddenly turns up at your step, dirty and such, and asks for a place to stay. It sounds reasonable to the others, but I guess that the two boys have never really meant anyone from the outside world, so…

Josef had whispered something to Artur, turning his back to me. Artur's eyes darted down to me, then back up to his brother. I squinted a little, the sun's rays blinding my vision, but realised Artur was walking over.

He was wearing different clothes from the night before, but I have to say that they didn't really do much. What was once a shirt was now a torn, dirt stained shadow of its former self, only barely able to hang from his shoulders like a tattered old towel. There's a huge tear on the left side, which leaves much of him exposed. His trousers aren't looking great either. There're holes across the sides, but at least he has shoes to protect his feet. Although they're old, a size too big and there are holes in the right side of the right shoe.

"Hi," he greeted me quietly.

"Hey," I didn't bother standing up. Instead he, hesitantly, sat down beside me.

"My brother and I were just wondering how long your family will be staying," he mumbled, not looking at me.

"Not for long. We have to get to Switzerland before- "he glanced at me and I looked down, "Never mind…"

"Oh,"

Well, this was awkward. Neither of us really knew what to say. He was nervous, and I had to be secretive for our safety as well as theirs. Josef had gone off somewhere, leaving Artur to tend to the sheep. With nothing else to do, having finished Bambi already, I offered to help.

"I have a question. I mean, you don't have to answer it but… I just really want to know," I spoke confidently, although I didn't feel it.

Artur was leant against a tall stick, watching the sheep, but nodded to me to go on.

"Why are you and your brother so reluctant about us?" I asked slowly. Artur sighed.

"Honestly, we weren't always like this. I'm a little more open than Josef since this happened when I was very young but… Basically, we had a sister. She was only a year older than Josef but was one of the most gullible people we've ever known. Her name was Ruth, and she was a lot like well… you. She read a lot, was very curious," he smiled to himself, his eyes beginning to go glassy.

"But… four years ago there was a horrible storm, which flooded the lake near here," his lips began to tremble, "Josef and Ruth were coming home from a hunt at the time, and they began to hear a rumbling coming from nearby. Ruth, understanding immediately, pushed Josef out of the way just before… before…" he rubbed his red eyes, a deep, shuddering sigh heaving from the depths of his chest.

I nodded in understanding, feeling suddenly very guilty. Artur wiped a tear from his cheek, silently crying as I thought of what to say. I've barely known him, and he chose to tell me. I mean, yes, I did ask, but he didn't have to answer. These two brothers had been scarred emotionally by this, and were probably upset about seeing us, a happy family, waltzing on into their life. An idea came to mind…

"When I was six years old, our real mother died. Father was heavily distraught by this and started becoming colder and colder. He used whistles to summon us and the servants, made us act like sailors as if we were on his own ship and forbid singing in any shape or form. Then Maria, our new mother, came and we were told she was to be our new governess. Before she came, we had about twelve different governesses, which we had all frightened off with silly tricks and such. But Maria changed us, taught us how to sing, loved us as if we were her very own. She and father fell in love, and for the first time in four years we were finally happy…" I sighed, twiddling my thumbs.

"Why did you leave? If it was so nice?" he asked.

"Some, um… some not very nice men wanted us gone so we agreed to leave," I replied simply, remembering not to mention we were running from the Nazis.

"You know what, I don't care what Josef thinks of you and your family. I like you, we've both been through the same pain of losing a loved one, and here you are, cheerful as ever. Maybe you could get your mother to sing to Josef and me, I would love that. I would love that very much," for the first time, I saw him smile.

It was a big smile, not a smirk, just an actual, happy smile. His face was light and his cheeks rosy with joy. I couldn't help but begin to laugh, which grew contagious on us both, because after a few seconds I heard him giggle. A very nice giggle, if I don't say so myself…


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10**_

I followed Artur into his tiny little cottage of a home. There are only three rooms, all quite petite. The first room is the kitchen, miniature in size, as well as a little sitting area. The two attached rooms are the Gedney's bedrooms, one for Herr and Frau Gedney and one for the brothers. There are only four windows in the entire house, two in the first room and one in each of the bedrooms. But they were so dusty that the glass was a sooty black colour.

I stood, squinting so I could see a little better, as the only thing lighting up the room was the tiny rays of light squeezing themselves through the darkened windows. Artur had walked into his own room, rummaged around it a little, before coming back out with two pairs of cotton rimmed, thick leather boots.

"I'll have my brother's, as they should be able to fit me now. You can have mine," he threw me a pair, which I caught rather clumsily.

"Where are we going?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I slipped the boots onto my freezing, numb feet.

"You'll see," he smiled, walking out and holding the door open for me like a gentleman would.

"Why thank you, Herr Gedney," I thanked him in a very posh voice.

"My pleasure, Frau Von Trapp," he formally took my hand and kissed it. Then we broke down into pleasurable giggles.

After our little humorous moment, he gave a little cough, pointed to a path leading off up the mountain and then told me to follow him. Obediently, I trudged through the dirt, hearing the satisfying squelch of silt beneath my thick, water-proof boots.

 **Maria's POV**

I watched Brigitta and Artur from the barn door. They had recently just gone into the Gedney's modest home and were coming back out again. Artur had held open the door for her and she had responded quietly. Artur then took her hand and kissed it, and I felt my husband freeze beside me. It wasn't until they began laughing at themselves did he finally breathe in relief, turning away from the scene as Brigitta and Artur left the village.

"They're growing up. All of them, they're going to go through this stage, you know that dear," I kissed his cheek sympathetically.

"I know, but I missed the whole 'overprotective father' thing with Liesl and Louisa, heck I don't even know if she loved a boy, but now it's Brigitta's turn and my, oh my, how unprepared I am," he sighed, sitting down on a hay stack.

"You saw them a minute ago, they were only messing around with each other. Brigitta is only ten, and yes, I know she reads a lot about that sort of stuff, but I doubt that child knows much about love," I reassured him, rubbing his shoulder.

Hell, if he heard the doubt dripping from my tongue then who knows what will happen. I'm not saying I'm lying, I do believe that this moment will pass, but I'm not saying that either children understand love. I have a hunch they've misinterpreted it, I think they only think that someone is in love if they kiss that person on the lips. I've watched them the entire morning, and I see no signs of _that_ kind of love. But there is _something_ there, and even if I am an adult, it doesn't mean I understand what exactly they're feeling. Only themselves ever will.

"Yes, I know Brigitta is young. But Artur is nearly Louisa's age. He's a smart boy, and he could've learnt a thing or two from his brother," Georg hissed.

"Now, Georg, you cannot go around blaming overs for something completely reasonable. For all we know, they could just be getting along well as friends. And if you're so worried maybe you should ask Brigitta herself about it," I scolded him, like I would with the children.

Georg gave a deep, grumbling groan, tapping his fingers against the smooth wood walls, eyes narrowed at the door. I sighed. The fatherly instincts were kicking in, it was only a matter of time before he would snap. I do understand him though, I'm pretty sure every father has gone through this with his children. I know mine did, that's for sure…


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11**_

 _ **Hello all. I know, I know, I normally update you all on the Von Trapp's movements and such, but I've been extremely busy with my life and such that I've found no time or any enthusiasm to continue writing this story. Not to worry though, everything is starting to die down and I shall be returning to my usual routine soon enough, but for now don't expect me to post every night/morning/afternoon (depending where you are).**_

 _ **Also. I have hit 1,000 views! May not seem like much for some of you, but for me it's a HUGE improvement. So, thanks everyone for taking the time to read and review. It really means a lot.**_

 _ **I was going to have to delete and reupload two of my chapters, but I decided not to do that. I mean, not all stories are perfect and mine certainly aren't. I don't enjoy writing for all the views, attention and freak over the tiniest detail which may or may not be wrong, I enjoy it because it's a distraction from everything and allows me to fill a few pages of white paper with all the emotions in my head to my heart's content.**_

 _ **Now, I know we're quite early into the story still, but I want honest opinions from all of you. Do you, or do you not, want a sequel? I just need "Yes! I really want a sequel," or "No, I don't think you should do a sequel," from people, no ideas on it… yet. Early days after all, like I pointed out. And if you don't want your review to be read by everyone viewing my story just message me privately with your answer.**_

 _ **Anyway, enough with me going on and on about stuff which has nothing to do with the Von Trapps (most of it anyway).**_

The path snaked its way around the side of the mountain with a sheer drop to the right. Artur carefully, yet confidently, walked carefully over thin path. I looked down. Worse idea I've ever come up with. Below me, _far_ below me, was an ocean of leaves as sharp as thorns, their green daggers pointing menacingly up at me. I gulped a little, diverting my eyes to the open space in front of us. We hadn't been gone for long, and yet the village seemed _miniature_ from our position up here.

"How much longer?" I grasped his hand, allowing him to pull onto the safe part of the mountain, sheltered by an overhanging and old oak.

He raised his right hand to his eyebrows and squinted upwards, stepping back a little so he could see more.

"Not much longer, I believe. It's hard to tell from here," he kicked one of his feet against the cold, solid stone, knocking some of the snow off.

Artur placed both hands on a small ledge sat just above his head and he pulled himself up onto it, grunting every so often from the effort. He then grabbed my hand, helping to pull me up as I did my best to climb up onto it as well.

A small path moulded from the ledge sloped upwards, and Artur began to walk up it, grasping the rocks for balance. Uncertain, I followed him, looking down at the ever shrinking forest below. For a few minutes we were silent, concentrating more on not falling rather than chatting, which was fine. The silence was comfortable, and I found enough comfort in the melodic tune of birds singing their tiny, little hearts out.

"We're here," Artur spread his arms out wide, a huge smile stretching from the corners of his face.

Patches of green were strewn out across the flat lands of the range, whilst the rest was an ominous gray and dead white. And yet, I found myself breathing rather shallowly, like ferns of frost were squeezing my sides in their desperate attempt to blacken my vision. Lakes were like tiny, black holes above the ground, still licking the sandy or grassy shores keeping their ever-growing bodies at bay. Even the snow glistened like an abundance of tiny, cut up diamonds scattered about their slushy mounds, waiting for the clouds to cover the sun once again so they could hide their shimmering souls.

"It's… It's beautiful," I breathed, taking it all in with nothing but my eyes.

"I came up here when those huge, metal things flew over our village and scared all of the young children. I wanted to know what they were," he replied innocently.

"Did… did they look a little bit like birds?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in a questioning way. Artur nodded slowly.

"Oh, I see. Well, they're called planes. Very popular around… well… everywhere. Except for this quaint little place of course," I explained, sitting down beside him.

"Are they dangerous?" he asked, clearly curious.

"I'm not actually sure. Father knows more about that than I do. He only tells the grown-up boys and girls, like Liesl, Friedrich and Louisa. Kurt, Marta, Gretl and I are all too young right now," I admitted.

"I think they're really cool, and I would love to fly around in one. Just for a day…" he sighed dreamily, looking up at the silent sky.

However, the afternoon had brought an early evening and night, with the setting sun dragging streaks of orange and yellow down the blue walls. Clouds began to gather in groups, dismissing the beauty the day had cast upon us. Grains of snow fell straight down from the clouds, not a breeze to blow them out of place. Artur had gotten up now, holding out his hand in a kind gesture to help me up. I smiled, taking it and stiffly pushing my legs up from the stone-cold floor…


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12**_

 **Rolf's POV**

Each step left a fresh, crisp footprint in the snow. It was like no one had been here, and yet Herr Zeller is so certain that the Von Trapps were heading towards Switzerland. For all we know, the family could have already crossed, but no, that doesn't stop Zeller from sending us out in these conditions.

I shivered, arms wrapped around my body, and kicked roughly at the snow. The thought of seeing Liesl again, even if it may only be briefly, made my heart flutter. I wasn't angry, or sad, I was scared. _Terrified_ , even. I mean, the way I treated her because of my urge to join Hitler's Youth wasn't… it wasn't the thing a gentleman would do.

 _Anyway_ , I thought, my itchy scarf flapping elegantly in the breeze, _she's probably gotten over it…_

"What's that?" I heard one of our younger boys, Horst, ask, pointing in the direction of a small black patch at least a day's walk away.

"Looks like a village," my friend, Hans, replied, squinting a little.

"They may have stopped there for a night, or at least to get some food and water," I agreed.

"How long do you think it might take to get there?" Horst asked curiously.

"At least a day," Hans guessed, sliding his bag off his back.

"We don't have enough time to wait, Hans, and it'll take us too long to get back to Zeller and report what we've seen," another boy, Otto, sighed.

Hans looked around, his short, black hair ruffled slightly by the wind, and eyed a small, sheltered area beneath an overhanging rock. His eyes lit up, and his feet trudged thankfully along. I, loyal to my friends as much as my leaders, followed him, regardless of what Otto was saying.

Horst had expertly crafted a fire, which effected the freezing temperature greatly, as we had nothing but our clothes for warmth. I slid my bag under my head and lay there, with my eyes closed, for a few moments.

"Hey Rolf, didn't you say something about you and one of the Von Trapp ladies being in a relationship?" I heard Otto ask, his mouth full of food.

"Briefly," I mumbled. Hans gave an amused chuckle.

"Briefly! You mean two years! I remember you always going on and on about how beautiful Liesl was," he teased me, punching my shoulder.

"All of the Von Trapp girls are pretty, they take it from their mother. Liesl was no exception," I turned away.

"I can see why you liked her, I have to admit, I had a bit of a crush on her," Otto admitted quietly, ignoring what I had just said.

"Which one was Brigitta again?" Horst asked suddenly, and we all turned to face him. In his hand was the _Swallows and Amazons_ book, open on the very first page, with a little note from Maria to Brigitta to it in extremely neat writing.

"The black haired one, the ten-year-old," I replied, retrieving the book from him.

"Why would she read? Why would anyone read? It seems so boring," Otto asked jokingly. I didn't smile.

"She uses it to cope, Liesl told me. Ever since their mother died she's been reading," I explained, biting into a piece of bread.

"You know so much about the Von Trapps that none of us would. Heck, you may even know something that will help us find them easier," Hans replied.

"I doubt it."

The conversation had ebbed to nothingness, now silence was as pure as the wintery carpet around us. Orange and yellow light was painted on the dull stone walls, casting monster-like shadows upon them. I gave a deep sigh, one that shuddered my entire body, and closed my eyes…


	13. Chapter 13

_**Chapter 13**_

 **I am so sorry for not updating. This time of year is so stressful for me and a lot of teenagers my age and above. But, now that it is half term, I'll be able to relax just for a little while. By relaxing, I mean that I'll be posting fanfics!**

 **I was feeling bad about the whole lack of updating, but I couldn't do anything about it. It's that time of year where I'm starting to take my education seriously. Not that I didn't in the first place, I mean I'm trying to up my grades further than they are now. And, if you think this year/time of year was bad, in a few years' time it will be even worse. Oh, and just a little warning about the Summer Holidays too (still 2 months or something I know). I won't be posting for the first few weeks as I will be on Holiday, but I doubt you will be keeping an eye on any progress anyway, since I hope you'll be too busy with your own holiday yourself.**

 **Set 1 day after previous chapter…**

 _ **Brigitta's POV**_

The heat from the fire seemed to be sucked into the bitter air before ever reaching our dirty and frozen fingers. The villagers around us added more wood and cautiously poked it with long pieces of blackened metal. Unsure about the new offering, the fire blinked a few times, belching out dozens of curious little sparks, before allowing its orange tails to brush and devour the wood like a hungry puppy.

All the villagers, including the Gedney's, were dressed in milk white clothes, although so thick that you would've thought it was a towel. They were even kind enough to gift us with our own, which was nice, as a change of clothes was in desperate need. I sat between Artur and Friedrich, who had his arm placed firmly around me, like a protective brother would do. Although, I think he meant it as a kind gesture.

"This is a very big night for the entire village, and it only happens once a year," Artur explained, his voice hushed down so he would not interrupt one of the villagers telling a story.

"Why?" I asked, looking up at the dazzling, night sky.

"Well, you see, there is a myth that although we know is not true, we still like to celebrate it. Basically, in the beginning of time, before there were even humans, a young wolf was abandoned by his family for being sick and scrawny," Artur began.

"A flock of sheep, foreign to the mountains, came across this little wolf and mistook him for one of their own, as he was snow white, just like them. One mother agreed to look after him and care for him as if he were her own,"

"The wolf grew, and the sheep, all except the mother, began to fear his mighty jaws and sharp claws. All his friends stayed away from him, and he became an outsider. However, his biological brother stumbled across the herd and began hunting them, chasing them right towards a cliff. The wolf, still quite small and scrawny for his age, cowered behind a rock, watching his brother as he grew closer, his jaws drooling and his eyes flashing furiously. It wasn't until his brother made a go at his mother did he grow angry, howling so loudly that his brother fled, tail between his legs," Artur laughed.

"Now, every year, once a year, the wolf will howl from the tallest mountain, protecting all our herds for the rest of this year," he finished.

"How ridiculous yet entertaining," Friedrich chuckled, and I rested my head on his shoulder.

"I know, but it keeps the children happy. One of us always fakes a howl, as there are no longer any wolves in Austria… but they believe it," he agreed.

I tried to keep my eyes open, I really did. But every now and again I fell out of consciousness, then back in. I was too comfortable here anywhere, it was irresistible not to at close my eyes. In the blackness of my lids, I can see that breath-taking view Artur had shown me, and us sitting side by side. I watched them, which felt strange, as if I wasn't myself anymore. I didn't mind…

 _Bang!_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Chapter 14**_

I huddled behind one of the houses, hugging my grazed knees. Beads of sweat poured from my forehead, dampening my hair slightly. Artur, Liesl and Herr Gedney were all there with me, their silky clothes tinged brown from the mud, like mine.

Artur lay on his back, eyes widened, petrified, and I remember that he had never experienced anything like this before. Come to think of, neither had I… The gunshots cracked into the air as loud as thunder, and another scream was silenced, either because they were dead, or because they had passed out.

"Children," Herr Gedney whispered, shuffling over to us, "You must go into the woods and hide there, we'll sort this out."

"Are you sure, Herr Gedney?" Liesl asked, her motherly voice coming through in a fearful tone.

"I'm sure, my dear Liesl. You must look after your sister and my son, please…" he whispered, wincing as another shot erupted, much closer this time.

"What about mother and father, and everyone else?" I asked hoarsely, my voice a mere squeak.

Herr Gedney was about to speak, when his eyes suddenly rolled into the back of his head, and he fell limply onto the muddy ground. I crawled over to him, shaking his shoulder gently.

"Dad?" Artur shuffled over too, until he looked up and fell back. I turned…

 **Georg's POV**

The scream that froze our bodies solid was like a siren. I've heard screams like that, ones of pure terror and alarm. It was unmistakably a child, and a young one at that. Every head turned, including the attackers', and several feet galloped their way towards the cry.

Maria was with the children, counting heads, before turning back to me and putting up two fingers. _Two_ were missing… My heart pounded, and a very unpleasant image entered my mind, bringing fear as well as anger.

By the time I had arrived, it appeared I was already too late. Herr Gedney lay, unconscious, on the ground, blood puddled a little around his head. As for the scream, it appeared the bearer was gone. Large footprints in the wet mud dragged the footprints of two young children, and a third followed willingly. Or at least, didn't try to struggle.

"Mother, I cannot find Artur anywhere?" Josef exclaimed, his usual casual and lazy voice now hinted with a panicked tone.

"And I cannot find my own two children," I joined the conversation, looking over at Maria as she brought over our remaining five.

"Gretl, Marta, Kurt, Louisa and Friedrich are all here, where are Liesl and Brigitta?" Maria asked, terrified.

In the dark there was simply no way to know which direction to go, the usual, beautiful landmarks were hidden behind a blanket or curtain of swirling black mist. My mind raced violently, and I angrily clenched my muddy fists. Until, however, one of the villagers pointed out a sudden movement of light in the forest. I squinted and saw it myself as it meandered around the many monotonous trees.

"Women, stay here and care for the children. Men, come with me. We need to find these monsters and bring back Artur and my children," I growled, picking up a long stick we were going to use for the fire, waved it around the flames, until it caught alight, and cackled devilishly.

No hesitation was in these villagers' eyes. No arguing. No rudeness. Just pure anger. Not at me, but at these intruders. It was surprising, and I was rather taken aback. It must be difficult to care for another's child, along with it only be such a brief period. They were the definition of a 'perfect' human in my eyes. Not because of looks, or personality. But because they were willing to help us, someone who they barely knew whatsoever, or someone they didn't think they could trust…

Before long, we were cautiously walking through the forest, keeping our flaming torches away from the vegetation. The bare branches turned up towards sky, spiked at the tips. Other than our torches, it was impossible to see what was around. Then it sparked again. Not my torch, and not anyone else's. It was _theirs_. And so close too, my cheeks were beginning to radiate with anger, burning my exposed flesh.

Dry, racking sobs, muffled slightly, grew louder as we approached, our feet slipping in the slush. No… they're hurting my children… Every time another sob rang out I got angrier. I gritted my teeth, my knuckles white from being clenched so much. The crimson in my cheeks felt like acid – slicing, burning, vigorous -.

The light kept fading from view and reappearing much further away. They had no worries about burning the forest to the ground, they probably had it protected within a glass box. That only made me even more furious. They had it all planned out, didn't they? Those wretches… The light suddenly flickered out, gone, our search now at an end…

My shouting was a violence in the air, a way to take the anger and guilt from the depths of my chest. It died down into hysterical sobs, with the tears bursting forth like a dam, drizzling down my scarlet cheeks and puddling in my flat hands. The muscles in my chin tremble, yet I don't feel embarrassed. My walls, the walls I had ever since my wife died, that not even Maria knew about nor broke, just… collapsed… Moment by moment they fall, and my head trembles in my hands. I fall to my knees, back hunched and cowardly, drenched with salty sweat and tears…


	15. Chapter 15

_**Chapter 15**_

The fear remains, like a black hole in my body, spreading like a fungus. Tear after tear that made no difference to the ever-tightening hand gripping my arm painfully. In the dim light, I could see Artur. He refused to look away from me, even when his lips trembled. He didn't want to look away…

The man dragging me roughly pulled me forward, so we now travelled in a straight line. He had brutal strength, which just made my head spin even more. This man, this _boy_ , had no regard about what happened to us, whatsoever… I turned my head, just a little bit, and made eye contact with Liesl. Her face was pale, of course, but no tear streaks were upon her white skin. Maybe she wanted to remain strong for us, or that she was incapable of crying at this moment in time.

"Stop here," I heard the boy at the back say gruffly and we slowed.

The gripping hand left my arm, and I felt a sudden urge to run, until familiar hands were placed on my shoulders, and I was filled with warmth. Liesl obediently lead us towards the edge of a small cliff, and we sat with our backs against it. The youngest boy watched us with his little beady eyes, a gun pointed in our direction.

"I'm going to do what Herr Gedney told me to do…" she whispered.

"I'm… I'm going to look after you. Both of you, and I swear if one of those wretched boys even lay a finger on you the last thing they'll see is my sweaty palm breaking their button noses…" she growled.

Artur, who had been managing to hold it together for so long, leaned towards her and sobbed into her chest. She held him silently, rocking him slowly and gently, and I just rested my head on her shoulder. She removed one arm from around Artur and moved it, so it was around me instead.

"Liesl," I whispered, and she slowly turned her head to meet my scared, brown eyes, "what's going to happen to us?"

Liesl didn't respond, and instead looked down. Artur looked at me and we locked eyes. In them, I could see fear. He wasn't trying to hide it, or at least dull it a bit. He was generally frightened, like I was. The fact that if we tried to run, we would be shot, made the feeling ripple in my stomach. Heck, we were putting our safety in the hands of a seventeen-year-old… Yes, she was very protective of us, but doesn't mean she'll be able to keep us from getting hurt…

I decided to focus my entire attention on Artur's eyes. They were still that same stormy green, but not the shade that is easy to describe. It was like they were both green and grey at the same time, with hints of sage green managing to push their way through. I expected him to look away, and to feel uncomfortable, but he didn't. Instead, he remained staring into my own, and we sat there, just for a few moments, before one of the boys began talking.

"You know the Von Trapps better than any one, who are these two?" the one with the short black hair asked, turning to a boy with light blonde hair.

"That one is Brigitta," he said gruffly, pointing to me. I shivered under his gaze.

"And she's… Liesl…" his eyes went soft for a moment, before hardening again.

"And the boy?" the youngest one asked.

The blonde-haired boy shrugged, and again Artur snuggled, terrified, into Liesl's side. Liesl's hand vibrated angrily around my waist, and as I looked into her eyes, I saw the usually warm, blue was replaced by an icy grey…

"Then he is of no use to us, why don't we just send him back. He'll get lost in that forest anyway," the black-haired boy said, getting up.

The blonde shook his head.

"No, Hans, if this boy grew up in the area then surely he'll be able to find his way back. We'll just have to bring him along, and explain to Herr Zeller why,"

 _Herr Zeller_ … Just the name made the hairs on the back of my neck prickle uncomfortably. No matter how hard I tried, he was always there, in my mind. That ugly moustache ruffled by the chilly wind as we attempted and failed to leave before the show…

Oh, how I wish I was back with my family, to be hugged awkwardly by father again. I regret ever feeling uncomfortable about it, I just want him to be nearby… I wish I could spend more time with him, but I missed that opportunity… we all did…


	16. Chapter 16

_**Chapter 16**_

 **Maria's POV**

Wait. It sounds perfectly easy to many. Cold. Tired. Afraid. Confused. The four emotions one does not want during their travels. Of course, as you may have guessed, I have all four of those emotions buzzing around my heart like wildfire.

"Mother, where is father?" I hear Gretl ask, her little voice croaky.

"He's gone to look for Artur, Liesl and Brigitta with the other men," I replied simply, not taking my eyes off the dark forest.

"Did those boys take them?" Marta asked, her eyes large and scared.

I didn't answer. I didn't _want_ to answer. We're all sitting beside the fire, and yet I'm shaking. Our white gowns are tinged with brown from the mud and our faces black with charcoal. Herr Gedney is being cleaned up by Frau Gedney, who keeps looking at me, then down at the forest.

Red in the face, the shade of a ripe tomato, with his eyes squinting furiously, my husband emerges from the forest. His chin is clenched so harshly that I'm worried he may chip his teeth. I tell the children to go and wait with Herr Gedney, and gesture to Frau Gedney to come over.

Every word stung. The rage inside of my heart doubles after every sentence coming out of his heart-broken throat, but I can't seem to let it out. Instead of screaming, I wail. Instead of shouting, I sob. Instead of fighting, I slink to the floor, weak and cowardly…

My heart doesn't snap quickly, like it is brittle, and nor does it burst like a balloon. No, it breaks slowly and painfully, like thousands of knives slicing the very thin part of the body, the skin. I had no armour around my gooey little heart, I was so vulnerable. I should've known, I should've been with them. I should've protected them. I failed, and I failed miserably…

Oh, poor Liesl. She'll have to look after them both, and they'll probably question her until her shield breaks in two. The world will be on her shoulders, and what if one of them gets hurt, killed even. She'll never forgive herself…

And Artur. That poor boy has never been in one of these situations and would've probably never seen a gun being pointed on a human himself. They'll make him join the Hitler Youth, won't they? He's not a Von Trapp. He has nothing to do with us, so they won't send him to Dachau, and instead place him in foster care…

Of course, there is Brigitta… She's too curious for her own good. And she's also the youngest, which means they'll pester her for answers too, as they guess she would be too frightened and vulnerable, like me, to disobey them…

"First thing in the morning, we're heading back," I was snapped out of my thoughts when Georg said this.

"Yes. I was expecting that. But all of us, including the children? Shouldn't we leave Marta and Gretl to be cared for by Frau Gedney? Shouldn't we leave them all here? I've already lost two of my children, I'm not losing the other five…" I replied.

"When we get to our home, we'll leave them at the cave. You remember, the first one we found, or one near there. Then we'll leave them in Friedrich's care, whilst you and I go down to find and rescue the children. I'd rather know they are nearby than three days away…"

"I really do think this is a bad idea, Georg, _but_ I want to go. And I want to go _now_ , so whatever you decide with, I'll be by your side the entire time…" I sighed tiredly. Georg flashed me a look of gratitude, before turning to the children.

"We need to go back home…" he explained.

"Why on Earth do we have to do that, father?" Louisa asked.

"Because… Because Liesl, Artur and Brigitta and heading there too..."


	17. Chapter 17

_**Chapter 17**_

If it wasn't for the situation we were in, I would've stopped and admired the view. The sun was a like a fiery, blazing eye in the white sky, stretching from horizon to horizon like a blanket. My feet ached so badly, as we had been walking most of the night, but I was also glad to see some light.

When the sun was beginning to show its golden rays a few hours earlier, it began to rain. Lightly at first, pitter pattering onto the grass and rocks around us, creating silver puddles on the smooth surface and a marshy, slippery terrain on the grass. They hadn't even let us stop and shelter somewhere, and instead pushed us forward, whilst they themselves used their bags as a sort of shelter.

The rain had completely drenched my clothes, my hair, my body… anything exposed really. It had completely drained the white from our gowns, and I felt extremely exposed without a jacket or anything covering my body. In fact, I noticed, that my skin was now very pale. I had been the only one without a jacket or anything, whilst both Artur and Liesl wore there's, whether it made a difference or not.

My fingers were slowly growing numb, as well as my toes. Bitter cold slapped at my face, my cheeks glowing red. My hair felt uncomfortable against my scalp, the ice in my throat spiked out, seemingly piercing my delicate skin.

"We need to stop. Can you not see Brigitta? Surely you have a heart not to let her wander about in those clothes that do not do any thing against this weather. She'll turn into a living icicle!" Liesl growled suddenly, and I looked back at her.

"Fine. If it stops your whining, then Rolf will give your sister his spare coat," the black-haired boy hissed spitefully, the we halted.

The blonde-haired boy, who was holding no one, and instead making sure we didn't try to escape, dropped his bag on the ground and rummaged through it. He pulled out a large, sage green coat, then threw it over to the boy holding me in place. He shoved it into my arms, and I gratefully put it on. In fact, it was so big, half of it practically dragged through the ferns.

It warmed me up a little bit, but I still felt myself shivering. Uncontrollably too. It wasn't at all unusual, as I'm not stupid enough not to know that being cold makes you shiver. Pretty sure most kids my age and below know that by now…

They led us to a flat, surfaced, stone floored area, and we sat down, eyeing the opposite party and vice versa. They had guns, we did not. They had good shoes, we did not. They had supplies, we did not. There was no way of getting out of their clutches, and even if we did, how long would we survive out there. Not long, that's for sure…

"Are you alright?" Artur asked, and I turned to face him.

"Yes. Why do you ask?" I replied.

"Your skin is really pale, and you're still shivering," he pointed out, and I looked down at my hand, which was resting in Liesl's own. Yes, it was certainly still a different shade from her palm.

"It's only because I was cold. I'm fine now, I just need a bit of time, that's all. If anything was wrong, I'd tell you both," I reassured them. They, however, still looked uneasy.

"Do you not trust me?" I asked, pouting a bit.

"No. No, it's not that…" Liesl replied softly, her eyes darting to the blonde boy, then back down at me.

I looked over, and realised he was still staring at us, whilst the others were sitting in a circle sort of shape, eating some food. His eyes, at first, showed sympathy and guilt, until he blinked a couple of times, and the hardness was back. He was quite obviously fighting himself. He loved Liesl still, but he also wanted to remain loyal to the Hitler Youth and the Nazis… I've done that… It was either keep everyone up and find my book, or leave it in the grass, my only form of sanity… gone…


	18. Chapter 18

_**Chapter 18**_

 **Georg's POV**

"Maria?"

We've all been waiting for about five minutes outside, and I was starting to grow worried. She doesn't answer… I open a few closed doors, but she isn't there. I was about to leave, thinking she may have already gone out, when I hear a few muffled sobs.

"Maria?"

When she cried, there was something strange about. There was a rawness to it, like the grief was an open wound. She was knelt on the floor of the tiny room, clutching the small chair nearby for support, with her other hand over her mouth. Immediately, I swiftly glided over to her like I was air, and knelt beside her, pulling her into a hug for support.

In her hand was a simple, white, beautiful edelweiss, missing two of its petals. I searched the deep parts of my mind, trying to recollect why this was so important to her. To _us_. Then it came back to me, and oh, how it made my heart melt like goo… There is Brigitta, laughing, smiling, the edelweiss just below her nose. I closed my eyes, but the image was still there. Liesl and Brigitta… Liesl and Brigitta… still there… they _won't_ go. I don't want them to go…

If I had any walls left, they would've surely crumbled. But I don't, so there is nothing to stop me from crying hysterically, or letting my anger consume me. This is my loop. This is exactly how _it_ started… I feel like I've just lost my wife all over again, but this time it's with my two children in her place. They're not dead, I'm sure of that, but it's my worst nightmare, and many fathers across the country, if their children go missing, or are taken against their will…

"We must bring this edelweiss along…" I heard Maria whimper softly.

"Yes, my love, we will. If it reminds you so much of her… then it's a treasure to us all. I just wish we had something from Liesl…" I sighed in reply.

"So, do I…" she sniffed.

"Come, let's go and get them back. And I promise you, we will. I will never rest until we do so, not in a million years. These aren't just _my_ children anymore, they're _yours_ too. I also promise you this, Maria, if any harm comes to _our_ children, the man responsible will never live to tell the tale…" I reassured her confidently, brutally spitting the last part.

She didn't mind. In fact, she smiled. My little speech had lightened her mood, no matter how dark or menacing. She'll be back on her feet, with the reassurance that she will see _her_ children. Why? Because I will take care of it… even if it means sacrificing my own life…


	19. Chapter 19

_**Chapter 19**_

The cold battering my body was not the pleasant kind. Not even this coat was warm enough to melt the frost settled in my lungs. We had stopped and slept, just for an hour or so, but that time was enough to change our entire surroundings. Instead of ferns and grass, I saw a white blanket, and even if a few fronds did escape, they glistened silver in the dull light. I looked around, over at our attackers, but only two were awake, one just about and other watching us carefully with a gun in his hand.

My gown still feels as damp as a flower, and the ground below me is lumpy and uncomfortable. Liesl still has her arm around my waist, and is sleeping silently, her hair covered in fresh, white snow, as is Artur's. I shake him awake, trying not to wake my sleeping sister.

"It's so cold…" he mumbled, stretching a little, eyes droopy.

"I know," I agreed, looking back over to the boys.

"Should we wake Liesl?" Artur asked, looking at my older sister.

By then, however, our movement had already done the trick, and she was up, tense and angry. Her grip tightened around me, as it did around Artur, and she narrowed her eyes, looking around.

"Liesl? What are you doing?" I asked, slightly alarmed by her abnormal behaviour.

"I thought those horrid boys were doing something to you both…" she blinked a few times, going a little red in embarrassment at her mistake.

"No. No they haven't done anything…" Artur reassured her.

"That's alright then," she replied simply, shaking the snow from her knotted hair.

"What did you think they were doing, Liesl?" I asked, my curiosity overwhelming.

Liesl looked down at me. Her eyes glimmered like the dark sky just as lightning strikes, yet it was not a comforting feeling. In fact, her pupils seemed to swallow most of the striking blue in her eyes, leaving the tiniest smidge of colour left. She shook her head, eyes twitching a little.

"You wouldn't want to know, Brigitta," she sighed, closing her eyes.

I pouted a little. But I _did_ want to know, that's the thing. If Liesl and I… and Artur… were prisoner, then we should at least know what they'll do to us. Was it that bad? I mean, I wouldn't understand unless someone told me… or I if found out myself. Chances of finding out is high in my case, mother doesn't say that I "see everything" for no reason.

The thought of mother made my stomach hurt. Oh, she must be so worried about us, as will father and everyone else. Even now, with Liesl and Artur beside me, I felt so alone… For the first time in my life… I… I was alone… I huddled beside Liesl, feeling no warmth, no feelings radiating from her, like someone had just switched off her life light. I knew it was there, that it was _on_ … but… for some reason I no longer felt it. In fact, I felt no warmth at all. Not even the fire, which I had felt even from way over here, prickled the hairs on my skin. I shivered, gripping Liesl's arm, cowardly hunched in a ball, blood-shot eyes hazy…


	20. Chapter 20

_**Chapter 20**_

 **This is the closing chapter… of book 1 of course! I've decided to make a sequel to this story, rather than just continue like this. Plus, and this is a beforehand warning, the rating will be going up from a K to a T, for strong language and violence. Don't worry, it'll still have it's potential singing, happy moments because every musical does… unless you're Shakespeare… Oh, and some more returning characters will include the nuns, Uncle Max, Baroness Elsa Schraeder and some new ones too.**

 **Please like and review. If you would like, and only if you really want to, you can suggest a character. Let me sort… explain.**

 **So, first off, the name. You can send me a review like this: Hi, I would like to suggest a new character and he/she is called e.g. Ruth… (or, you can just tell me to make up a name if you would like)**

 **Then, what does he/she look like. So, for instance, hair colour, eye colour, type of clothing etc… (Example: Ruth (optional surname) has brown hair and emerald green eyes. She usually wears quite old yet posh clothing).**

 **What kind of personality do they have? Are they nice, friendly and brave? Are they snotty, rude and calculating? Or are they shy yet curiously so? It can be anything, even a mixture of each.**

 **Are they going to help the Von Trapps? Or are they going to be on Herr Zeller's side. Or both!**

 **I'm sorry if I don't use all the characters given to me, but if I made another TSOM fanfiction later on, I'll consider putting your character in there.**

 **Here is what you'll review will probably look like:**

 **Hi, I would like to suggest a new character and she is called Ruth. Ruth has brown hair and emerald green eyes. She usually wears old but posh clothing. She can be shy, but once you get to know her, she's nice and friendly. She's a young nun, and will help the Von Trapps rescue Liesl, Brigitta and Artur.**

 **Georg's POV**

The anger within me churned with a hunger for revenge. I was worried, with this overwhelming pressure of hot lava covering my soul, that I would say things I would not mean, and that it would rip this family apart even more.

This morning I had already shouted at Gretl for being too slow, and at Maria for attempting to sing to calm our nervous children. Now no one spoke to me, not even a whisper nor a glance. It was like it was back before Maria was here, only now they were even more afraid. This hurt, but not as much as it did when I lost two of my daughters.

I was struggling so much, with trying to keep my family safe as well as attempting to reach and cross the border. I had failed both of my missions. I hadn't kept my family safe, not even close, and I hadn't gotten us all over the border. In fact, I was doing the opposite. I was leading them _away_ from the border, towards a place we used to call home. What am I supposed to do when I get there? They'll kill us all, on the spot, or worse... send us to Dachau.

They'll taunt me, hurting my dear little ones until I surrender. They'll start with Brigitta, of course they will… She's the youngest of them, and therefore the most vulnerable. _No_ … I thought to myself, _I won't let them hurt my daughter_ s…

 **Yeah. It's short. I know. But, the first chapter of the next book hopefully won't be! Also, thank you for reading through the entire book, it means so much. Stay tuned for the next book, chapter 1 should be out in a couple of days.**

 **Bye!**

 **CrimsonPenny.**


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